Metal cap or closure for receptacles



METAL CA? GR .CLOSURE FOR RECEPTACLES Filed April 17, 1931 I 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

JEuh z. pa n/12 1933. F. DARLING 1,937,642

METAL CAP OR CLOSURE FOR RECEPTACLES v Filed April 17, 1951 ZSheet's-Sheet 2 III/III! Patented Dec. 5, I933 UNITED STATES METAL CAP on CLOSURE Fort RECEPTACLES Frank L. Darling, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Crown'Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of New York Application April 17, 1931.

Serial No. 530,949

2 Claims. (Cl. 21539) The present invention relates to improvements in metal caps or closures for receptacles and method of making the same.

Caps or closures embodying the present invention are of the class commonly referred to as the crown type. Closures of this character or type include a-top member and an annular, depending, skirt which is commonly corrugated throughout its circumference, portions of the 0 corrugated edge of. the skirt being deflected inward beneath a shoulder or head surrounding the mouth of a receptacle when applying the closure or cap thereto.

Among the objects of the present invention -may be noted that of making such a cap from a minimum amount of material, avoiding waste that has been incident to the methods heretofore commonly practiced.

A further object is to produce a cap or closure of the type referred to which will have a rim or annular portion that will be stiffer than the corresponding portion of caps produced by the methods commonly followed, whereby repeated use of a cap is facilitated. Caps constructed in accordance with the presentinvention are not provided with a continuously corrugated annular skirt but corrugated portions, adapted to be engaged with a locking shoulder, or shoulders, on a receptacle, are arranged in circumferentially spaced relation and the portions of the skirt intermediate said groups of corrugations are smooth and adapted to contact closely with the annular peripheral surface of the bead or finish about the mouth of the receptacle.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a sheet from which caps embodying the invention are adapted to be stamped;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a slightly difierent form of blank;

Figure 3 is an elevation of a cap or closure embodying the invention;

' Figure 4 is a sectional view of the cap shown in Figure 3 j Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the cap of Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 6 is an elevation of a portion of a receptacle having one of the improved caps or closures applied thereto;

Figure 7 is a vertical section substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8- is a similar view on the line 8-8 of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is a vertical section showing the improved cap or closure applied to areceptacle of material other than glass.

Referring to the drawings, in the several views .of which like parts are designated by the same reference characters, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate portions of a sheet of suitable thin metal, tin being commonly employed, from which the caps or closures are punched or stamped by suitable means.

As represented on said figures, each cap or 6 closure comprises a suitableblank 1 substantially circular in form and provided with a plurality of radially projecting circumferentially spaced lips.

In the form of blank illustrated in Figure 1, each of the blanks has four of such lips 2 while, in the form shown in Figure 2, six similar lips 3 are provided on each blank 1,

After the blanks 1 have been stamped from the metal sheet, they are shaped by suitable means to the desired crown type form including a top 4 and a depending annular flange or marginal skirt 5'. The lips 2, '3 of the initial blank extend substantially horizontally and radially outward from the lower edge of the skirt 5 and each of said lips and the portion of the 1 skirt immediately adjacent the inner end thereof are provided with a plurality of radially extending corrugationsfi. v

As shown particularly in Figure 4, the inner, substantially vertical, surfaces of the corrugations 6 do not project inward of the vertical plane of the inner face of the skirt 5 and the portions 7 of the exterior face of the skirt, between the groups of corrugations 6, are smooth.

When a cap of the form described is applied to a receptacle, by the usual means employed for securing crown type caps to receptacles, portions of each of the corrugated lips at the lower margin of the skirt 5 will be deformed slightly to produce radially. inwardly extending projetions 9 that will extend beneath a shoulder 10 provided on the receptacle 11. Thereby, the cap or closure will be securely interlocked with the body of the receptacle and a sealing ring 12 arranged as usual within the cap' will be clamped against the rim of the mouth of the receptacle.

By making the cap or closure in the manner described, in which the receptacle engaging corrugations are arranged in groups spaced circumferentially, the closure cap as a whole is relatively stiifer than if such corrugations extend continuously about the skirt 5 as has been customary and yetthe closure is held firmly on the receptacle.

Figures 1 and 2 show how the peripheral lugs of the initial blanks are related so as to avoid waste of material and to insure that a maximum number, of caps may be produced from a sheet of predetermined size.

It will be appreciated that the dies or stamping means provided for punching blanks of the form required for making the improved cap or closure will be less expensive and include fewer elements or members than are required for producing blanks for making the common formof caps of similar type in which the entire annular skirt in'corrugatecl and, therefore, the cost of manufacturing the improved cap is less than that of making the type heretofore commonly in use.

Another advantage incident to arranging the corrugations by which the cap or closure is interthe improved cap may be readily employed in connection with a removing means which is permanently connected with the receptacle.

Such an embodiment of the invention is illustrated particularly in Figures 6, 7 and 8 in which the improved closure is shown applied to a receptacle provided with a removing means 20 such as set-forth in my prior Patent No. 1,777,077 of September 30, 19.30. If the arms of the lever 20 are disposed under the smooth, uncrimped portions of the cap skirt as shown, the engagement of the locking crimps 9 with the. shoulder 10 is not hindered thereby and the lever still performs its cap lifting function.

.Owing to the particular arrangement of the corrugated portions of the improved cap or closure, the efiect of applying it to a receptacle is to substantially flatten the parts that project radially from the skirt and avoid the somewhat objectionable continuous serrated edge which is a feature of this type of closure as commonly produced.

The sections ,7 of the skirt intermediate the groups of corrugations 6 bear closely against the exterior of the receptacle.

Owing to the improved cap or closure having greater rigidity'than that of the form commonly employed, it is possible to manufacture such caps from a relatively lighter gauge metal than has heretofore been required, which effects a further ecomony in .cost of production and such a lighter gauge metal is particularly advantageous for closures for use where a vacuum is created in sealing the contents of a receptacle as it enables the cap to adjust itself to the sealing surface more readily than a cap made from a heavier auge plate.

of tin or othermaterial 15.

The improved cap' may be made of any suitable diameter being equally adap'ted for use with bottles having relatively narrow outlets or mouths and jars, etc., the mouth of which are approximately of the same diameter as the body. A further important advantage secured by the invention is that closures constructed in accordance therewith can be applied more readily than those in which the edge is serrated continuousl throughout its circumference.

It will be obvious that by having the locking projections arranged in groups spaced circumferentially less force is required to apply the closure to a receptacle and the strain imposed upon the receptacle or container during the sealing operation is reduced materially from that required when the locking projections extend continuously about the edge of the closure. This is a very important feature as it practically eliminates breakage of containers, which is one of the largest elements of cost, involving not only loss of the container but also of the contents.

1' claim:

1. A closure for a receptacle having an'ex-terior shoulder adjacent its mouth, saidclosure comprising a metal cap having an annular skirt in close contact with said receptacle about the mouth thereof and provided with alternate crimped segmental portiqrg and smooth, uncrimped segmental portions, said crimped portions having ribs deflected inwardly under said shoulder to lock said closure on said receptacle, said uncrimped portions contacting the outer circumference only of said receptacle, and being out of locking engagement with said shoulder, in combination with means for disengaging said crimped portions of said closure from under said shoulder, said means comprising a lever fulcrumed on said receptacle above the lower edge of one of said uncrimped portions ofsaid closure and extending downwardly below said shoulder and said uncrimped portion, the disposition of said lever under said uncrimped portion permitting locking of said crimped portions under said crimped segmental portions, said crimped portions having ribs deflected inwardly. under said shoulder to lock said closure on said receptacle, said uncrimped portions contacting the outer circumference only of said receptacle and being out oflocking engagement with said shoulder, in combination with means for disengaging said crimped portion of said skirt-from under said shoulder, said means comprising a bail-like lever having its two ends fulcrumed on said receptacle above the lower edge of two of said uncrimped portions of said skirt with a crimped portion thereof disposed between said ends, said lever extending downwardly below said shoulder and said uncrimped portions, the disposition of the lever under the uncrimped portions permittinglocking of said crimped portions under said shoulder without hinderance by said lever, but serving to unlock said crimped portions by movement transmitted thereto from said uncrimped portions.

FRANK L. DARLING. 

